Getting into NYU Accelerated Nursing Program

I'm also in the process of applying to accelerated nursing programs in the NJ/PA/NY area and I've read a lot about how schools will look at your overall undergrad GPA and your pre-reqs GPA separately (higher pre-req grades can compensate for a lower undergrad cum GPA).

I graduated with a finance degree and I did a year-long internship with a pharma company. I know from working there that they hire a lot of nurses for their research departments and also in marketing. I know insurance companies and pharma consulting companies also hire nurses so there are plenty of jobs for those with backgrounds in business!

Good luck!

Hey

I just got accepted into the NYU program and am set to start in the Fall. So unfortunately I can't give you any real insight as of yet but its a good thing you're starting to think about this stuff early on!

I didn't do the NYU Accel program (I went to U of Cincinnati's), but also had a lousy undergrad GPA. My Chemical Engineering GPA was an impressive (OK, maybe not) 2.59. At that point in my life, I was just looking to pass, not excel.

Even though I had held a 4.0 GPA in a bunch of courses taken in the 20+ years since my ChE degree (Paramedic coursework, Paramedic refreshers, foreign language classes), I still needed to provide additional references from some of my prereq professors.

Contact the NYU program director directly - explain your situation & ask what you can do to PROVE that you are capable of doing the work at an accelerated pace. Empathize with him/her (OK - grovel, brown nose, whatever) about any concerns he/she may have about your academic background, but once again - ask directly how you can prove that you are more than capable of doing the job.

I was asked to get references from my A&P and Microbiology profs. I did that, and also got a solid reference from my Psychology prof (this was for a distance learning based, accelerated Psych course). In your prereq courses, you will not just need to get A's, you will need to try & be at the top of the class. Give your prereq Professors the ammunition they need to write a kick-butt recommendation letter for you.

When taking your prereq courses, see if you're eligible to join a honor society at your school. This may require a certain number of quarter hours with a GPA over 3.5 or whatever. If you can do this, also put that on your application.

It is possible!

Hi 2010 Hopeful,

I am currently in the NYU accelerated program in my second semester. I barely have a minute to breathe, but I really love the program. Regardless of where you go, most accelerated program are a year and a half of exhaustion. As far as your questions, I know that you have to have a 3.0 GPA or they wont even look at your application. This is because the program is really rigorous and they want to know you will be able to handle the workload. But believe me, I know that people in their second degrees are in different places in their lives than when they were freshman, sophmores in college!!! What I would recommend is taking the prerequisites and getting As in all of them. This would probably bring your GPA up to the required 3.0 and they would see that you are taking school seriously and have a good grasp on the sciences. That said, I would definitely retake Statistics! They really emphasize doing well in the prereqs. The majority of our class did VERY well (As) in the prereqs when applying. And I think it is easier to get in in the spring. At least that is what an admissions officer told me when I was applying. I know that a lot of schools offer Masters in Nursing Administration degrees....I am pretty sure that NYU does.
Hope this helps! Just do the BEST you can in your prereqs! That is your best shot. If you get all As they will see that you are willing and capable of suceeding in the program. I know how stressful it all is, but keep on going!
If not NYU, then there are a million other great nursing programs around. Don't limit yourself!!!
Addie

I will be entering NYU's Fall 2010 15-month progression group and I the advice I have to offer is: do well on your pre requisites! I did most of mine at NYU, except for Microbiology, and they really stress nothing less than a C (or maybe it's a C+) for pre reqs. With that said, I got a C+ in Microbio and a C+ in Biostats. Not great, but I didn't have to take them again. With those grades though, I could have potentially damaged my future career options of where to work (some hospitals stress that they won't accept anyone with C's).

So, in short, do well in the pre reqs and you should be okay. I'm a second degree student (already have a BA) and my GPA going in was somewhere around 3.2 or 3.5.

I think you have a chance in getting in!

good luck!